May 31, 2007

The Research Administration and Compliance Office is pleased to offer a new model for providing news to the campus: the Research Advocate weblog (or blog).

In the new model, news, information, updates, and other content is published dynamically as articles are written. A key feature is news feed technology. By subscribing to the news feed, you can receive new content automatically delivered to your web browser or RSS/Atom reader without your having to visit the site or check e-mail. RAC will continue to e-mail a notice every month with a table of contents linking to each article online.

Other features:

Seven-day rolling list of new awards received by the campus, updated daily.

The Research Advocate weblog includes a syndication feed. By subscribing to the feed, you can receive new content automatically delivered to your web browser or RSS/Atom reader without your having to visit the site or check e-mail.

What are RSS and Atom?RSS (or Really Simple Syndication) and Atom are two types of web feed formats specified in XML (a generic specification for data formats) and used for Web syndication. RSS and Atom delivers information as an XML file called a feed, web feed, RSS stream, or RSS channel. Feeds provide a way for users to easily receive newly released content.

How to SubscribeTo subscribe to a feed, you will need a feed reader or aggregator. Web browsers, email software, and web-based news sites offer a variety of RSS subscription features. You may already have a feed reader built into software you are already using.

Memo - Vice Chancellor for Research Office, University of California, Berkeley - February 7, 2006

Date: 2/7/2006

Sender: Beth Burnside, Vice Chancellor for Research

To: All Academic Titles, Deans, Directors, Department Chairs

Subject: UC Requirement to submit all proposals and to receive all awards for grants and contracts

Since December 1994, it has been University of California policy that all employees who receive any part of their salary through the University, or whose activities use any University resources or facilities, must submit all proposals and receive all awards for extramural support through the appropriate central office, i.e. Sponsored Project Office (SPO) or Industry Alliances Office (IAO). This requirement is necessary to insure that all extramurally funded projects are screened for their compliance with relevant University, state, and federal policies and guidelines, and to insure the appropriate exercise of UCB's fiscal responsibility for all extramural awards.

The purpose of this memorandum is to update and replace the Cerny memorandum of January 3, 1995, implementing the December 15, 1994 UC policy on proposal submission and award acceptance. This policy can be viewed at http://www.spo.berkeley.edu/Policy/grantpolicy.html.

Although this policy remains in effect, there have been an increasing number of cases where faculty have submitted proposals directly to funding sources rather than sending them through SPO or IAO. The authority to implement and carry out the proposal submission policy for the Berkeley campus has been delegated to me as the Vice Chancellor for Research. On behalf of the campus administration, I am writing to strongly reiterate that it is absolutely essential that all UCB faculty and staff comply with UC policy by submitting all grant or contract proposals for extramural funding and accepting all grant or contract awards through SPO or IAO.

Effective immediately, the campus will refuse to accept any grant or contract for extramural funding that has not been appropriately submitted through SPO or IAO. If SPO or IAO receive an award document for a proposal not formally and appropriately submitted through SPO or IAO, the award will be declined. Exceptions may be made only in highly exceptional cases and must be approved in advance and in writing by the Chancellor.

If you have any questions about this memorandum, please contact my office. Thank you, in advance, for protecting Berkeley's research enterprise by helping us make sure that UC, state, and federal requirements are fulfilled.

Memo - Office of the Chancellor, University of California, Berkeley - January 3, 1995

BERKELEY: OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR

January 3, 1995

DEANS, DIRECTORS, DEPARTMENT CHAIRS, ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS

SUBJECT: Policy on the Requirement to Submit Proposals and to Receive Awards for Grants and Contracts Through the University

This memorandum transmits the new University of California Policy on the Requirement to Submit Proposals and to Receive Awards for Grants and Contracts through the University. This policy is effective immediately.

This new policy states that all employees who receive any part of their salary through the University, or whose activities use any University resources or facilities, must submit their proposals for extramural support through the appropriate local contracts and grants office. Exceptions to this policy may be granted by the Chancellor in unusual circumstances on a case by case basis. If an exception to policy is made, the name of the University shall not be used by the external party under any circumstances.

The authority to implement and carry out this policy for the Berkeley campus has been delegated to me, as the Vice Chancellor for Research. Implementation will begin immediately and will include all currently funded extramural awards, renewals and continuations of current awards, and all new proposals. All currently funded awards must be transferred to the campus if projects involve any effort, salary recovery, use of University resources or facilities, or name the Berkeley campus as the performance site. These transfers must be in process by February 15, 1995. Exceptions will be considered on a case by case basis; however, there will be no blanket exceptions for an organization or individual. Fellowships made directly to a student, post-doctoral fellow, or faculty member will not be affected by this policy.

Any request for exception should be made in writing to the Vice Chancellor for Research, with a copy of the proposal attached. Requests must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate department chair or unit director. Justifications should include a detailed description of the activities to take place outside normal employment and a clear distinction of the difference between service to the University and service to be provided to the external party.

If you have any questions about this new policy or how to request an exemption, please contact Joyce Freedman, Director of the Sponsored Projects Office, at 642-8110.

Joseph Cerny, Vice Chancellor for Research

Memo - Office of the President, University of California - December 15, 1994

University of CaliforniaOffice of the President

December 15, 1994

POLICY ON THE REQUIREMENT TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS AND TO RECEIVE AWARDS FOR GRANTS AND CONTRACTS THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY

It is the policy of the University of California that employees who receive any part of their salary through the University, or whose activities use any University resources or facilities, must submit their proposals for extramural support through the appropriate local contracts and grants office. Awards must be made to The Regents of the University of California.

This requirement is necessary to insure that all research and other extramurally funded projects conducted by University employees, or with the use of University resources or facilities, are approved by the appropriate University contract and grant office and comply with relevant University policies and guidelines, including but not limited to those governing:

- integrity in research;- appropriateness of the activity to the University;- protection of human and animal subjects and the environment;- use of University facilities;- adherence to personnel policies;- compensation plans;- intellectual property;- conflicts of interest;- recovery of direct and indirect costs;- liability insurance and indemnification; and- medical malpractice coverage.

In the case of projects to be conducted by the UniVersity in collaboration with other organizations, the University can be either the prime contractor or a subcontractor. In all cases, all resources required for the conduct of the portion of the work which will be directed by University employees must be included in the award to the University.

Exceptions to the requirement to submit proposals and awards through the University may be granted by Chancellors in unusual circumstances on a case by case basis, after consideration of the policy areas cited above, when it is in the best interest of the University. When an exception is granted, there must be a clear distinction between service to the University and service to the external party; relevant personnel policies shall be followed; the name of the University shall not be used by the external party; and in no case shall the University assume liability for a third party's action without the approval of The Regents as required by the Bylaws and Standing Orders of The Regents.UCOP source - December 15, 1994 memo

May 17, 2007

In a May 16 Calmessages memo to deans, directors, and department chairs, Vice Chancellor for Research Beth Burnside announced a new online briefing program in conflict of interest designed for UC researchers. The text of the memo is included below.On May 23rd, the University of California will launch an online Conflict of Interest Briefing for researchers at all UC locations.

The Briefing, which takes about 30 minutes to complete, is designed to help researchers recognize and deal with conflict of interest situations that may arise during their work. The new Conflict of Interest Briefing was developed by a UC team that included members of the faculty and research staffs from various campuses, headed by the UCOP Office of Research, with a vendor, Workplace Answers. Like the Ethics Briefing, which was rolled out to the campus in April, the Briefing can be taken on any computer with Internet access.

Not all Principal Investigators or those with research responsibilities will be required to take the Briefing. Researchers have been identified as those individuals in the various professorialand research title series who received more than $1000 in salary from selected extramural funding sources over the past 12 months. On May 23rd, the selected Berkeley researchers will receive an email from coibriefing@berkeley.edu with a personalized link that will directthem to the new Conflict of Interest Briefing.

As with the Ethics Briefing, individuals are encouraged to complete the Conflict of Interest Briefing soon after they receive the email notification. The Briefing will remain available to them for their reference throughout the year. Researchers are encouraged to bookmark the link/Briefing so that they may refer to it in the future.

Questions regarding the conflict of interest briefing may be directed to coibriefing@berkeley.edu.

May 09, 2007

The Sponsored Projects Office is recruiting for a Senior Administrative Analyst.

The position will provide the required review and submission of proposals; negotiation of agreements; and all non-financial post-award actions on behalf of the Regents of the University of California and in accordance with federal, state and University regulations and policies. Specifically, as a lead analyst in SPO, the Senior Administrative Analyst is responsible for a wide range of duties including: contract and grant proposal review and submission, negotiation and acceptance of awards, award administration, sponsor relations, professional development, training and mentoring of less experienced staff within SPO and across campus, contract/grant data maintenance, and other related duties as assigned.

May 08, 2007

The Sponsored Projects Office has revised the NASA Access Restrictions Checklist to include a question asking if the project involves one or both of the following special long-term access requirements: federal access to a federally controlled facility, or access to a federal information system for six consecutive months or more.

The National Institutes of Health recently made a variety of changes throughout the eRA Commons system, particularly in the eSNAP function. NIH provides a summary of specific changes in a May 4 NIH Guide announcement. Some key changes are described below.

PIs now have the ability to delegate to any commons-registered individual with an ASST role the ability to view the status of electronically submitted applications. This new menu choice is found in Admin/Account/Delegate Status. Once in the Delegate Status screen, PIs will see a list of all the individuals registered with the ASST role and can manage the ability to “Delegate” and “Remove” delegation for those individuals. Once this delegation has been granted, the individual with the delegated authority will be able to view and access the list of applications associated with the PI. Individuals can have this authority delegated to them by more than one PI. Please note, that the view these delegated individuals now has is equivalent to that of a signing official (SO View) and as such does not include access to confidential information; e.g., summary statements and priority scores. For detailed instructions on how to delegate this authority see eRA Commons Release Notes Version 2.9.2.2.

Person Profile/Reference Letters

For electronically submitted applications that involve separately submitted confidential reference letters (e.g., NIH Director’s Pioneer Award), a feature has been added to electronically monitor the submission of these letters. This monitoring feature appears within the Person Profile where a Reference Letter menu choice now appears. This feature lists only data items appropriate for monitoring the submission of reference letters but does not provide access to the actual documents.

Change in Business Process: Measuring Effort Devoted to Projects

Transitioning to the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) introduced a new business practice for measuring effort devoted to a project—person months. Personnel working on projects now indicate effort by indicating the number of calendar, academic, and/or summer months. To keep a consistent business practice in place for all applications and progress reports, eSNAP has been revised to reflect this new effort measure in two areas: 1) PI Effort, found on the Edit Business/Org Info screen; and, 2) effort for all Key Personnel on the Edit Business/Key Personnel screen. Any edits to the Key Personnel section will require that the user convert annual effort to person months for all Key Personnel listed. Frequently Asked Questions for Person Months and a Conversion Calculator Tool are available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/person_months_faqs.htm.

The American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (PRF) supports advanced scientific education and fundamental research in the petroleum field. The PRF offers Type AC grants to support new scientific ideas for established scientists and engineers. The PRF has noted that a large percentage of AC proposals are now “continuation” proposals that seek additional funding for extant projects, instead of new, unexplored research projects.

The PRF issued new application forms for Type AC grants on April 30, 2007 and now requires principal investigators to provide a one-page description of what has been done previously in their area of research and then provide a description of how and why the work in the submitted proposal is “new.” Beginning with proposals submitted for consideration at the Winter 2008 PRF Advisory Board meeting, AC proposals that are deemed as ongoing research will be disqualifed.